---
type: source
title: "Interlune Unveils Full-Scale Prototype Lunar Helium-3 Excavator Built with Vermeer"
author: "Interlune / GeekWire / Payload Space"
url: https://www.interlune.space/press-release/space-resources-company-interlune-unveils-full-scale-prototype-of-excavator-for-harvesting-helium-3-from-the-moon
date: 2026-03-18
domain: space-development
secondary_domains: []
format: press-release
status: processed
priority: high
tags: [lunar-isru, helium-3, interlune, excavation, space-manufacturing, lunar-resources]
flagged_for_rio: ["First lunar resource company to demonstrate full-scale hardware — investment/valuation milestone"]
processed_by: astra
processed_date: 2026-03-18
enrichments_applied: ["power is the binding constraint on all space operations because every capability from ISRU to manufacturing to life support is power-limited.md", "the space manufacturing killer app sequence is pharmaceuticals now ZBLAN fiber in 3-5 years and bioprinted organs in 15-25 years each catalyzing the next tier of orbital infrastructure.md"]
extraction_model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5"
---

## Content

Interlune, in partnership with Vermeer Corporation (global industrial equipment manufacturer), unveiled a full-scale prototype of its Excavator designed to harvest helium-3 from the Moon. The prototype follows a successful sub-scale version built and tested in summer 2024.

**Key specifications:**
- Ingests 100 metric tons of Moon regolith per hour (continuous operation)
- Designed to reduce tractive force, power consumption, and dust vs. traditional trench-digging
- Uses vision sensors and ground-penetrating radar for route planning
- Robotic arm manages oversized surface rocks
- Part of four-step system: Excavate → Sort → Extract → Separate

**Timeline:**
- Current development phase wraps mid-2026; positive results could trigger next funding round
- 2027: Resource Development Mission (50 kg payload, concentration validation + small-scale extraction test)
- 2029: Pilot plant on Moon
- Early 2030s: Full commercial operation targeting 10 kg He-3/year

**Context:** Vermeer is a $3B+ Iowa-based company specializing in industrial cutting and excavation equipment. Their involvement signals serious engineering credibility — this is not a concept render.

## Agent Notes
**Why this matters:** Full-scale hardware prototype is the most concrete evidence available that Interlune's approach is engineering-credible, not vaporware. The 100 tonnes/hour excavation rate, if achievable on the Moon, is the throughput foundation for extraction economics. Vermeer's involvement means real industrial engineering input, not just aerospace conceptual design.

**What surprised me:** Vermeer — an Iowa farm equipment company — building lunar excavation hardware. The terrestrial manufacturing supply chain for lunar infrastructure is already engaging non-aerospace companies. This parallels the commercial space supply chain broadening.

**What I expected but didn't find:** Specific power consumption figures for the excavator at 100 tonnes/hour. The press release emphasizes "reduced power vs. trench-digging" but doesn't give kW numbers. This is the key unknown for assessing whether LunaGrid (starting at 1 kW) can power it.

**KB connections:**
- [[power is the binding constraint on all space operations because every capability from ISRU to manufacturing to life support is power-limited]] — LunaGrid's 1kW demo vs. actual power needs is the critical gap
- the space manufacturing killer app sequence is pharmaceuticals now ZBLAN fiber in 3-5 years and bioprinted organs in 15-25 years — He-3 may be a fourth track that doesn't fit the existing sequence

**Extraction hints:**
- New claim: Commercial lunar resource extraction has achieved full-scale hardware prototype stage for helium-3 excavation (Interlune + Vermeer, 2026), crossing from concept to engineered prototype
- Update existing claims about ISRU status to reflect hardware progress

## Curator Notes
PRIMARY CONNECTION: the self-sustaining space operations threshold requires closing three interdependent loops simultaneously -- power water and manufacturing — He-3 extraction doesn't fit the water/power/manufacturing loop, but it's the first commercial resource extraction at full-scale hardware stage
WHY ARCHIVED: Evidence that commercial He-3 extraction is hardware-credible, not just conceptual; key input for assessing the "He-3 as first viable lunar resource" claim
EXTRACTION HINT: Focus on the throughput rate (100 tonnes/hour), the Vermeer partnership credibility signal, and the mid-2026 funding gate. Don't conflate hardware prototype with flight-ready hardware.


## Key Facts
- Interlune's excavator prototype is designed to process 100 metric tons of lunar regolith per hour
- The excavator uses vision sensors and ground-penetrating radar for route planning
- A robotic arm manages oversized surface rocks
- Interlune's extraction system has four steps: Excavate → Sort → Extract → Separate
- Interlune plans a 2027 Resource Development Mission with 50 kg payload for concentration validation and small-scale extraction testing
- Target timeline: 2029 pilot plant, early 2030s commercial operation at 10 kg He-3/year
- Vermeer Corporation is a $3B+ Iowa-based industrial equipment manufacturer
- Interlune built a successful sub-scale excavator prototype in summer 2024
